Relationships and the Modern Arab Woman

Interesting choice of topic no? Well, we all know that the modern Arab woman suffers from a warped mentality. We want to be modern, yet we don't want to let go of traditional values, the values that save us from being cheap...or like any other living breathing female on God's green earth. As you can see, there is already a conflict here in the psyche of the Middle Eastern, more specifically the Gulf Arab female. We all know that dating is socially unacceptable. You, over there, woman in the cloak hiding out upstairs in cinabbon on a wonderfully delightful date, yes, I'm talking to you. So, how does one go about entering the dating scene, and more importantly finding a husband. We'll go through this process step by step, subcategory by subcategory.

1) Finding a Boyfriend:

There are many ways in which the Gulf woman goes about doing this.

a) Online: A very popular choice...through social networking sites, chat rooms etc

b)In Malls: You all know what I'm talking about. The men that walk around and give out their numbers...I've seen some of you take them!

c) Being followed: Yes, there are men desperate enough to follow you until you stop, and take their number, or tell them to fuck off.

d)Family and Friends: My friend knows a friend who knows a mother who knows a friend...yeah...those types ;)

e) Schools, Universities, Offices: the traditional I married my colleague classmate etc.

2) Dating:

Now, the process of dating is one of intricate complexities. There's the virtual chat date. The call date. Then, the physical date. Dinner with fine wines at a posh eatery. Hardy fucking har har...I don't think so. Think seedy little coffee shop in the middle of no where, think upstairs, think private rooms at disgusting diners. Yes, you do feel like a hooker on these dates, but that's the closest we can get to emotional fulfilment when we're constantly worried about what people will think or say about us. In fact this creates a LOT of barriers in relationships. You're boyfriend wants to take you somewhere nice for a date. I think NOT! Wanna go to the movies and cuddle! Yes, that's happening...Maybe at the 11:30 am show of "Flop of Flop" or "Journey of the Flop"! Is it worth it? I guess if that's what you're into...

3) Marriage:

The final step. Oh how much we yearn for it...specially due to the lack of personal freedom we enjoy....a husband means no one can tell you what to do anymore...save for him, if you end up with a jerk. See, there are two types of Gulf girls when it comes to this topic:

a) I designed my Wedding Dress in Primary: This category includes almost 90% of Gulf girls...These are the ones who see marriage and child-rearing as the ultimate goal in life, you know the Arab embodiment of the 50's housewife. When they talk...all you here is "Omigod, when I get married, my wedding ring, my wedding night, my husband, my twins"

b) Escape..Oops, I mean MARRIAGE, yes Marriage...:
The single girl, the confirmed bachelorette Arab style. Enjoys fun with friends and a night on the town much more than a baby bassinet (enter me). Replaces cleaning the kitchen...with cleaning her make up bag. Sleeping with a man with sleeping with a cuddly kitten and raising kids with buying bags and stilettos. She may sound like a superficial creature, but in essence she is the one true DIVA. She may however submit to marrying in exchange for freedom...from parental control...!

c) $$: My bank, I mean HUSBAND, is wonderful...his wallet is beautifullll.....drool :D


So you see its a complex philosophy which entails a complex code of behaviour and special etiquette...see you all at Cinnabon!

Whose Loss?

This is a matter I have wanted to discuss for quite a long time now. The French embassy in Bahrain is an inept disaster area. First of all, let me just be frank. These people do not want us anywhere near their countries; or at least that is what we are to understand from their barbaric and rather uncivilized visa application process. From their behavior, it can be concluded that they aim to make attaining a visa as difficult as it possibly can be in order to limit the number of rag head sand monkeys entering their wonderful and flawless countries. What we should do in response is to make it just as difficult for them to enter ours. Bahrain is too afraid of losing whatever interest people abroad have in this country to make it difficult to enter it. Of course if your from the third world, than its a completely different story...your interest is not nearly as highly valued.

First of all, people beginning to queue for visas at 3 and 4 am is not just illogical, it is cruel and unfair and shows utter disregard for this nation and its people. I’m very sure the French embassy in any other (non-arab/muslim) country would not have the gall to treat its citizens like they have chosen to treat us.

Second of all, I know several people who have gone to that dreaded embassy only to be turned down without a valid reason, or without one at all!!! If you choose to reject one's application, the least they can do is have the decency to give an explanation for this rejection. Otherwise, we are left to assume *as I currently believe* that the basis for these rejections is prejudice. Do the people of Bahrain mean so little that it is not even necessary to give them a reason or explain why you don't want them entering your "wonderful" countries.

Third of all, who is losing in this underhanded battle? The French and their EU counterparts of course. We are all very aware that Arab tourism, if you can call it that, makes up a large part of the income these countries make. Our investments, homes abroad and simply the money spent there on our visits. We are a gold mine to these people...and making it absolutely impossible for us to enter those countries means that they will lose a great deal of income!

I urge my fellow Bahrainis and GCC nationals, please invest your hard earned money in your own nations so that in the near future our countries will be forces to be reckoned with when it comes to tourism and leisure. They need our money far more than we need to spend time in their countries. I hope this will be enough to persuade you to be proud of who you are, if they choose not to accept that, then it is utterly their loss! What do they have that we don’t or can’t have...not much but the weather. So please, I beg of you, stay home this summer...spend your vacations touring neighboring Arab countries. It is clear that they don't want us...so why do we need them. We DONT...none of us do and we never have! So as long as they choose to continue this treatment we have been receiving, I will have no desire to spend a dime in or on their countries. To all those who have properties, what’s the use of owning a home in the EU if you can't get to it or are only allowed to get to it when they feel like giving you a visa. When they have the deciding hand on whether or not you get to spend time in a home that you've paid for. Our government chooses to give them residency permits for as long as they own property here...and what do they give us....rejections without reason or logic...you're better off selling your homes and using that money towards the development of our own countries.